Saying Bismillah before eating

Question

Before starting to eat, should one say “Bismillah” (بسم الله) or “Bismillahi r-rahmani r-rahim” (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)? What is the correct ruling and the sunna way? And what should one say during wudu?

Answer

When starting to eat, one should say: [ar]بسم الله وعلى بركة الله[/ar] “In the name of Allah and with the blessing of Allah.” And when performing wudu, one should say: [ar]بسم الله العظيم والحمد لله على دين الإسلام[/ar] “In the name of Allah the Magnificent, and praise be to Allah for the religion of Islam,” — or one should say “Bismillahi r-rahmani r-rahim,” or combine both.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.